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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zalabim" data-source="post: 6530986" data-attributes="member: 73227">Not to read the entire thread or ignore 1000 posts of history, some commentary. 2E occupations seem to match much better to 4E power sources than roles. Roles are a thing that has always been there as a nebulous concept of what is this character doing? What is this character good at? The change in roles in 4E is a prescription rather than proscription. It details what kind of abilities that class will definitely have access to rather than what abilities that class is not allowed to have. The weakening of clerics, wizards and druids to just the same amount of role coverage as most other classes is a different issue entirely. The roles were codified and integrated in 4E classes to prevent a class which is not good for anything being printed. No more fifth wheels. The result is only that the class's role tells the player where the class is not going to be bad. It wasn't there to describe the only place the class is good.5E handles roles in a similar low-powered style as it handles everything else. They're still there. They're still baked into class abilities. 5E just takes a very ivory tower approach to how it presents the classes. The barbarian is a defender because its rage lets it take a larger amount of punishment and its reckless attacks encourage enemies to attack the barbarian. The bard is a leader as it both increases the party's healing with song of rest and improves others attacks or saves with its inspiration. There are also classes with roles that are more flexible from having a greater degree of choice in class abilities. All the abilities are also a little weaker, so they're a little less differentiated than they were in 4E. Because there is barely commentary on how to play a class, the appearance of distinct role-fulfilling abilities in each class may be accidental or natural rather than a design decision. I don't know.For purposes of AC, a character who is already raising Dex for other reasons is well served with light armor. In a pure "how to get AC" comparison, Heavy Armor is cheaper. Light Armor is one feat which gives +1 to a stat and 20 Dexterity for 17 AC. From nothing, that's 1 feat and 4.5 stat boosts. In a point buy, it'd mean spending 9 points and three feats to raise that to 20 and get proficiency.Medium Armor is two feats which give +1 to a stat and 14 Dexterity for 17 AC. From nothing, that's 2 feats and 1 stat boost. On the point buy, that'd be spending 4 points and two feats. Heavy Armor is three feats which give +1 to a stat and 15 Strength if you want to move at full movement for 18 AC. From nada, that's three feats and 1 stat boost. In the point buy, that's 4 points and three feats. Medium Armor Mastery, for the best of both 18 AC and no stealth penalty, is 1 more feat and 3 more build points. A similar investment in maximum defense for Heavy Armor Mastery results in a net buy of 3 points and 4 feats. A character already using Str might be better served getting Heavy Armor rather than raising Dexterity and sticking to medium. Obviously most characters care more about their offense than their AC, so they tend to stick with whatever armor proficiency their class comes with.</blockquote>

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